Shades of Sunlight
by scorchedtrees
Summary: A collection of drabbles and ficlets featuring Will and Nico. Solangelo.
1. shadow-travel

_A/N: I'm currently kind of obsessed with this ship so I thought I'd create a collection on ffnet of the drabbles I've been posting on tumblr. Genres will vary._

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><p>"Are you sure about this?" Will asked for what was possibly the fifth or tenth or twentieth time.<p>

Nico rolled his eyes. "You're the one who okayed it in the first place. I told you, it'll be fine."

Will nodded, but he still wasn't reassured. It had been months since the battle at Camp Half-Blood, months since the day he'd run into Coach Hedge in the infirmary and the old satyr had told him about Nico di Angelo's shadow-traveling problem, and the son of Hades had had plenty of rest since then—one short trip across a hundred-mile stretch of land and water should be no problem.

As a healer, Will knew with certainty that Nico would be okay. He'd felt the boy's hands enough to know there wasn't enough residual darkness in him to pull him permanently back into the shadows, even if he attempted to cross the Atlantic again, and Will had made sure shadow-travel was off-limits for the past few months. When Nico had suggested this excursion, Will had been the one who told him it'd be fine.

But as a friend, Will was still worried. He remembered how sickly and gaunt Nico di Angelo had looked in the early morning light when he'd returned to Camp Half-Blood the day of the battle with Gaea, how deep the shadows under his eyes ran as he crouched by the edge of the Roman camp, how starkly the bright tropical shirt he'd been wearing had stood out again his pale skin. It had taken Nico a long time to return to full health, but as a child of the Underworld, shadows still clung to him like a second skin and Will didn't want to see them drag him down.

"I wasn't that serious about it," Will said, in a last attempt to dissuade Nico. "It's not like I've never been before; I can wait until the end of summer and catch the subway there before heading home—"

"Shut up, Solace," Nico said, and without another word, grabbed his hand.

Will would have been more than okay with that under any other circumstance, but before the touch of Nico's hand registered he felt himself flying—if free-falling forward so quickly that the air around him seemed to be trying to claw him apart could constitute as flying. His vision went black, darkness pressing into him like he was being squeezed through a suffocating tube, his ears popping like they were going to burst.

Luckily, the sensation passed quickly—Will suddenly felt solid ground under his feet again and stumbled to a stop. And then he stumbled again, because the ground wasn't solid; the sand shifted beneath his flip-flops and he dropped Nico's hand in surprise, blinking and looking around him.

He'd known where they were going, but actually being in Camp Half-Blood one moment and then finding himself somewhere else the next was still jarring. He stood at the crest of a small hill, weeds and dirt interspersed with sand that spread as it traveled downhill, expanding until it covered the area of land below. The expanse was deserted; it was a small stretch of beach between two more popular tourist destinations. Waves lapped at the shore, reaching out and retracting, the roar of the surf echoing in the emptiness; the rays of the setting sun crept across the ocean, reflecting the orange and gold of the sky back and forth until the whole scene below looked like a drop of sunlight, mixed with darker colors and then spread out and framed.

Will had been to beaches before, even this one, but not this particular area of it. He'd always loved the heat of sunshine on his face, the wind ruffling his hair and the sound of the waves, but there were always others enjoying the same things around him. There was something different about a deserted beach in the evening, something cooler and more relaxed yet just as inviting, and gazing down at the sand below, he was glad he'd let Nico take him shadow-traveling.

He turned to the younger boy beside him. "This is great, though I don't know how you can stand doing that all the time—"

He stopped short when he saw Nico curled up on the ground, eyes closed and fast asleep.

Will stared for a moment, then shook his head and chuckled ruefully. Nico had told him how the first time he'd shadow-traveled to China he'd been knocked out for a week; it looked like the son of Hades was out of practice. Will sat down next to him and rummaged through the bag they'd brought, pulling out a towel and placing it across the younger boy's shoulders; the breeze could get chilly at night. He crossed his legs and leaned back, sitting in silence as the wind blew through his hair and the sound of the surf echoed around him, enjoying the peace and quiet with Nico sleeping by his side. He watched the sun sink into the waters below, dissolving into a pool of light and shadow, and thought this was something he could get used to.

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><p><em>AN: Any feedback would be greatly appreciated! Let me know if you have any prompts or requests as well :)_


	2. trick-or-treat

_A/N: Happy Halloween! (this was prompted)_

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><p>Nico had done more in his fourteen years than most would in their entire lifetimes. He'd suffered through things that would give grown men nightmares, fought monsters that weren't featured in even the scariest horror films, played an important role in the victory of not one but two wars, and traveled to nearly every country on the planet.<p>

However, all of these impressive feats meant he had little time for much else. He'd missed out on many things children growing up took for granted, and there was a bevy of things he needed to read or watch in order to understand half the references other demigods his age threw around effortlessly.

Everyone knew this, so Nico didn't understand why Will seemed so shocked that he'd never gone trick-or-treating before.

"Didn't have time, Solace," he pointed out. "I was kinda stuck in the Lotus Casino, then off saving the world and all."

"But everyone has to go trick-or-treating at least once," Will protested. "Who passes up an opportunity for free candy?"

That was a good incentive, Nico had to admit. He liked candy and junk food as much as any other kid. He shrugged. "Did you go before you came to camp?"

"Every year." Will's eyes took on that faraway look that Nico knew meant the older boy was reminiscing about something pleasant. "My mom would make our costumes—my little sister's and brother's and mine—and it'd be something different every year. She loves arts and crafts and working on projects like that. This is the first year I'm not taking my brother and sister trick-or-treating, actually."

Nico shuffled his feet, unsure of what to say. He understood loss only too well, but this didn't really fall into that category—it was more of a quiet nostalgia, and he didn't have too many memories of his own to be fond of. He was spared having to think up a response when Will turned to look at him contemplatively.

"Actually…"

Nico understood immediately. "Nuh-uh," he said, taking a step back. "I'm not begging for candy."

"Come on, Nico," Will said. His smile was inviting and normally Nico would have been rather pathetically affected, but his pride was at stake here. "It'll be fun."

"Define _fun_."

"I went every year with my—"

"I'm not your kid brother, Solace." The thought made him uncomfortable; he hoped Will didn't see him as a younger sibling to coddle.

"That's not what I meant." Will sounded a bit surprised at the thought. His voice dropped. "Look, you're just young enough to get away with trick-or-treating—I'm a bit too old now. But I'll go with you. Come on, just try it. If you don't like it we won't do it next year. Think of the free candy."

Nico decided he really was quite pathetic when it came to this particular son of Apollo—his mind had snagged on the _we_ of Will's _we won't do it next year. _Like it was a complete given that they'd be hanging out together next year. Will and Nico. Totally normal.

Which was probably why he found himself muttering, "… Fine."

Will beamed. "Great!"

Nico was thinking it shouldn't be too bad, going around asking strangers for candy, if it meant he'd get to spend more time with Will (and _free candy_), when he saw a strange glint in the other boy's eyes that suddenly made him feel uneasy. Then he remembered that trick-or-treating meant wearing a costume as well, and he brought his palm to his forehead with the realization. Will snorted with laughter.

_Oh, gods._

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><p>Somehow it wasn't as embarrassing as he'd thought it would be.<p>

He hadn't hit his growth spurt yet so the costume store they went to had outfits his size in the children's section. He didn't want to try any of them on, but in the end Will paid for—of all things—a zombie costume, and then they bought plastic pumpkins, and next thing Nico knew he was on the wraparound porch of a white-shingled house nestled in a comfortable neighborhood near Long Island, ringing the doorbell.

"Trick or treat!" Will said as the door opened, completely drowning out Nico's perfunctory mumble.

Will had gone as—_of all things_—a doctor, in a white lab coat with a stethoscope around his neck. Personally, Nico thought Will should have dressed as a Greek god; he wondered what the son of Apollo would look like in a toga. (Probably pretty good.)

"Happy Halloween!" the woman who answered the doorbell said. She was rather young, in her early thirties perhaps, with a blond bob cut and a cheerful smile. She held out a basket filled with little chocolates. "We have a doctor here!" She looked Will up and down, then Nico. "Oh my, and a zombie!"

She was staring straight at him, so he lifted the mask from his face and attempted a polite smile. "Happy Halloween, ma'am."

She surprised him by reaching out to give his hair a little ruffle. He managed not to jump, but he had to bite back the urge to scowl; did he look _that_ young?

"You're the cutest zombie I've seen," she proclaimed. She waited until they'd both taken Snickers bars before stepping back. "Have a good night, kids!"

"She clearly hasn't seen any zombies," Nico said as they stepped off her porch and back onto the sidewalk. "I look ridiculous. And nothing like Jules-Albert."

Will gave him a sidelong glance. "She's right though," he said with a crooked grin. "You _are_ a cute zombie."

Nico dropped the only candy he'd gotten from trick-or-treating in his life in order to punch him, but his face was brighter than the orange plastic pumpkins.


	3. pick-up lines

_A/N: This is just a dumb drabble inspired by this post~ kingburu tumblr com/post/100052199767/ (replace the spaces with dots ofc)_

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><p>Nico had shadow-traveled to Will's apartment enough that he knew exactly where he would end up every time now. He no longer bothered to aim for the doorway outside and knock; he just showed up by the shoe rack inside and if Will wasn't in sight, he would plop down on the couch and wait for his boyfriend to appear.<p>

He must have been more distracted than he thought today though, because when the shadows spit him out, his face hurt a lot. It took him a moment to realize that was because he'd shadow-traveled straight into the wall behind the TV in the living room.

"Whoa," Will said. He was sitting cross-legged on the rug with his laptop on the coffee table in front of him, typing away at his dissertation or thesis or whatever it was first-year medical students had to work on. He raised an eyebrow at Nico as the son of Hades stumbled over to the couch and sank into it, rubbing his nose. "You okay? Are you drunk?"

"No," Nico said. "Wasn't paying proper attention."

He must have still been making a face though because Will grinned. "Is your face okay? Want me to kiss it better?"

"No," Nico said again, but propped his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. Will pressed his lips to his lightly in greeting and turned back to his computer screen, which Nico now saw was not open to a Word document, but an online RPG. Will had always said he needed as much practice fighting monsters as he could get.

"So what's got your attention?"

It took Nico a moment to register the question. "Nothing important," he said, picking at a loose thread on his jeans. "Just… I was at the mall and—"

"You were at the mall just then?"

"Yeah, there was a ghost who wanted… it's a long story."

"So what happened?"

"Some guy who walked past asked me… if it hurt when I fell from heaven."

Will turned back again to stare at Nico incredulously. There was a three-second pause, and then he burst out laughing.

"Fuck you, Solace."

"Oh gods." At least, that was what Nico thought Will said—he was laughing too hard for Nico to be sure.

He scowled. "It's not funny."

"Of all the pick-up lines he could have used on a Hades kid—well, technically, you _are_ an angel—_di Angelo._"

"Shut up."

Will's laughter began to subside, but his mirth was still clear on his face. "What did you say to him?"

"Nothing," Nico said, slouching in his seat. "I just walked off."

"You didn't shoot him your death stare, did you?"

"… Maybe."

Will shook his head. "The poor guy. He was just enamored with you—"

Nico made a face. "Can you not say _enamored_? That's really fucking weird."

"—like I am." Will's smile was devious. "Would you glare at _me_ if I said something like—"

"Oh no." Nico sat up straight at that. "Don't you dare—"

But Will had already pulled up a page on Google. "'On a scale of one to ten, you're a nine,'" he read from his laptop screen. "'I'm the one you need.'"

"What part of 'don't you dare' don't you understand—"

"'I seem to have lost my phone number. Can I have yours?'"

"So monsters can track us down more easily? You know I don't have a damn phone."

"Don't take the fun out of it, di Angelo. 'Do you have a Band-aid? Because I just scraped my knee falling for you.'"

"You'd be a pretty shitty healer if you didn't have a single Band-aid—"

"'Do you know what my shirt is made of? Boyfriend material.'"

Nico looked down at Will's plain blue T-shirt. "Actually, I think it's cotton."

"'I don't have a library card, but can I check you out?'"

Nico dropped his head in his hands, thinking that if he stopped responding, maybe Will would stop talking. No such luck.

"'Excuse me, I dropped something. My jaw!'"

_I'll break your jaw if you don't shut up,_ Nico nearly said, but clamped his mouth shut in time.

"'Your body is 70% water and I'm thirsty!'" Will chuckled. "I like that one. Though it's more like two-thirds, not 70%."

"…"

"'Are you an orphanage? 'Cause I want to give you kids.'"

Nico was unable to keep silent at that one. "That's physically impossible, you dumbass—"

"'Pinch me. You're so fine, I must be dreaming.'"

Nico reached over and pinched him. Hard.

"_Ow_—okay, okay, last one." Will cleared his throat. When he spoke again, his voice shook with suppressed laughter. "'Are you a beaver? 'Cause _daaaam._'"

Nico just looked at him. "That does not merit a response, Solace."

Will turned to him and opened his mouth, then paused as if something had occurred to him. His eyes took on a strange gleam and Nico knew he would not like whatever what was going to come next.

"That's right. My name is Will Solace. I'm _soulless_, and I need yours to feel complete."

The living room was silent for five seconds, and then Nico groaned and buried his face in his hands once more as Will started laughing again. "That was worse than one of your dad's haikus," he mumbled, his voice muffled by his palms. "I can't believe you just said that."

"You know you love me, di Angelo."

Nico shook his head, but he had to hide a smile. Sadly, Will was right.


	4. meeting the parents

"Father, this is Will Solace."

Sadly, they were not in the Underworld, so Hades couldn't tower impressively over the two from his throne―that might have frightened this particular one of Apollo's offspring a bit more. He had to settle for glowering, but the boy looked properly intimidated, which he supposed was good enough.

"It's nice to meet you, sir," Will offered. His smile was apprehensive, and when Hades continued to glare, the expression froze on his face. Hades liked that.

His son had to ruin the moment. "Father," he said, sounding like he was on the brink of rolling his eyes, "don't try to scare him."

"He has many brethren," Hades noted, turning to his son. "What is it about him in particular that attracts you?"

Nico flushed. "It's not because he's a son of Apollo―"

"What is it then? He looks nothing like the Jackson boy."

Now Nico looked like he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole (always an option). _"Father."_

"You want my blessings, I suppose," Hades said dryly. He considered the two demigods for a moment; he could feel the embarrassment radiating from his son, but there was a certain light in Nico's eyes that had been absent the last time they had spoken, and Will Solace seemed respectful enough. Nothing like his loudmouth of a father.

"Very well," Hades said. "They are given." He cast his gaze upon the son of Apollo once more, this time deigning to speak to him directly. "I only have one living mortal child, whereas your father has plenty―if you do anything to harm my son… well, you are replaceable, and there will be a certain place in the Fields of Punishment reserved for you."

_"Father!"_

If Will Solace had anything to say to that, Hades did not hear it; he had transported himself back to the Underworld already. He settled onto his throne, leaning back into the hard iron seat, and only then did he allow himself a faint smirk.

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><p>"So, Dad… this is Nico di Angelo."<p>

The sun god scrutinized his son's boyfriend―the mop of messy black hair, the Underworld-pale skin, the emo clothing. One of his brilliant haikus came to him in an instant and he flashed a dazzling smile.

"What's with all the black?" he asked his uncle's kid. "You should dress more like me. I am just so cool." He spread his hands like he was showcasing something; in this case, his outfit: all red and gold, the colors of the sunrise.

Nico looked at Will; his glance was imploring. "Uh…"

"Just kidding," Apollo said with a wink, saving the young demigod from his misery. "Black suits you."

"Right," Will said, clearly determined to lessen the awkwardness of this meeting as much as possible. "So we've been seeing each other for a while now and―"

"I remember you," Apollo interrupted, looking more closely at the son of Hades. "You were with that Jackson kid and my sister's Hunters a few years ago. On my sun chariot. You and your older sister."

"Yeah," Nico said, shifting his stance. There was something defensive about the single syllable and Apollo decided not to go on. Demigods could be so touchy.

Will cleared his throat. "As I was saying, we've been seeing each other for a while now, and you might not have expected this, Dad, but―"

"Opposites attract and all, right?" Apollo broke in again. "It's quite alright, son. I approve. Why, I've met quite a few hot mortal guys myself over the last few thousand years―"

"Uh, that's great, Dad!" Will's face was nearly as red as Apollo's shirt now. "I just remembered we forgot something at camp―Nico and I have to go now, sorry―"

"It was nice meeting you," Nico mumbled, his face roughly the same shade as his boyfriend's. Will grabbed his arm and they took off.

Apollo watched his son and the Hades kid disappear and shook his head to himself, sighing. "Kids these centuries. Always in such a rush."

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><p><em>AN: I have no idea what Hades's throne is made of so I said iron because... Hades could totally win the game of thrones. Also the second line of Apollo's haiku has six syllables on purpose._


	5. evading the ex

_A/N: This was written for a prompt/request on tumblr._

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><p>Nico wasn't sure what he was doing here.<p>

He stood in the corner of the room, holding a can of soda he'd grabbed at the bar and trying to blend in with the shadows. Not that there were many; the lights overhead flashed and spun at dizzying speeds, bathing the dance floor in glowing neon colors all shades of the rainbow—and black was not one of them. He had thought the pulsing bass would give him a headache the moment he stepped inside, but now it had found its way through his eardrums into his chest, thumping in time with his heart, sending little vibrations shivering up and down his arms with every beat.

Around him, bodies twisted and writhed to the music; the air was thick with the stench of alcohol and sweat. Nico wrinkled his nose and took a sip of his Coke, checking his watch in the same motion. There were roughly six minutes to midnight and a little over two hours until Lou Ellen planned on leaving, and he wondered not for the first time that night why he hadn't just refused to go when she'd asked.

_Maybe, _a little voice that sounded an awful lot like Annabeth whispered in his mind, _it's because she mentioned a certain someone who would be here…_

Nico took another gulp of his drink and told the voice to shut the hell up.

He liked to spend his evenings alone; he'd had a hard enough time getting to know his roommates when he'd first begun college. He'd made friends since then, but he liked to spend his days holed up in his dorms, surfing the Web, and the most he ever did when he went out was to grab a burger and fries from the McDonald's across the street. Anything social was not his forte.

But Lou Ellen had told him about a big party taking place at a new club opening a few blocks away, insisting that he experience at least "one real college party," and then she'd just so happened to add _you have to come; I'm making everyone come, Cecil and Will and—_

Nico hadn't heard anything after that; his stupid brain had snagged on that one name and that was why, a few days later, he was here, standing in a corner at the club and taking slow sips of soda and cursing himself for being an idiot. It was too dark to properly make out anyone's features; at this rate, he'd be lucky if he could find Lou Ellen again when it was time to go.

Minutes ticked by and Nico finished his Coke. He inched his way from one corner of the room to another, though this one was closer to the bar. He eyed the row of people seated there, chatting and laughing and sipping cocktails, and thought at least that was one upside—or downside, depending on how one looked at it—of throwing a party in a location like this: all alcohol was legal.

He was about to slip past the barstools and elbow his way through the hordes crowding the dance floor when one figure sitting there turned. "Hey, Nico!"

Nico froze midstep and looked back over his shoulder. "Uh… hey, Solace."

Will grinned, his teeth a flash of white in the dark. His blond hair curled against his ears and his collar, matching the blue of his eyes and his shirt perfectly—it was rare to see the California native in anything other than jeans and a T-shirt on campus, and Nico found himself staring for a moment.

He tore his gaze away and hoped the dim lighting of the club hid the red that was surely rushing to his cheeks. "Heard you'd be here."

Will shrugged. "I'm not really into parties, but Lou Ellen made me come. Literally dragged me here." He shook his head. "Don't know how many inches I've got on her, but they should be enough to keep me from being forced anywhere. Yet here I am." He slid off the stool in one quick motion and Nico found himself closer to the other boy than he'd expected. He'd always been considered short until he hit his growth spurt; now he stood maybe half an inch taller than Will, but he felt awkward and gangly whereas Will filled out his height nicely.

Then Nico found he was taking note of the different shades of blue speckling Will's eyes, which he took as a cue to step back. He mumbled an apology but Will didn't seem to hear it.

"I'm ready to get out of here, to be honest," he said. Nico started walking in the direction he'd been planning on going again, and Will matched his stride. "Bonfires on the beach are more my type of party. I'm not used to dressing up." He tugged on the collar of his shirt, drawing Nico's attention to the way the tendons in his arms shifted with the movement. He glanced over and the corner of his mouth quirked. "You look good."

"Uh… thanks." Nico tried valiantly to suppress a blush and failed.

"It's a change from your usual black."

"Annabeth made me buy this shirt," he blurted before realizing how utterly lame that sounded. Then his mind fumbled over the fact that Will had noticed what he usually wore (to be fair, his wardrobe pretty much consisted of only dark colors), and he rubbed the back of his neck, casting about for a topic of conversation that wouldn't make him sound any more pathetic than he was already making himself out to be.

He never got the chance. Will abruptly stopped walking, and when Nico glanced back at him, he saw the older boy standing stock-still, staring ahead into the throngs of people lining the dance floor. Nico looked too but didn't see anyone headed in their direction or anything out of place.

"Can you do me a favor?" Will suddenly said.

Nico blinked. "Sure, what is—"

And then his brain pretty much short-circuited, because Will Solace was kissing him.

Nico had (and he was quite loath to admit it) thought about it before, more than once, but he never would have imagined it would actually happen, and not like this, in the middle of a crowded club with lights flashing and bass pounding around them. His eyes popped wide open and he stared, noting the faint freckles dotting Will's tanned skin and the curve of his eyelashes. Will's lips were soft, softer than he'd thought, and he tasted vaguely of strawberries—it must have been whatever he was drinking.

Nico heard someone whoop, as if from a distance. The sound jolted something in his brain and he closed his eyes, returning the kiss. Will's hands rested against Nico's lower back; he found his hands fisting in the other boy's hair. Part of him knew this was a fluke: maybe Will was drunk and that was why this was happening, because there wasn't a chance in hell that someone like Will Solace could be gay, but he tried to ignore those thoughts clamoring for attention in the back of his mind, simply reveling in the feeling of being so close to the guy he liked way too much.

And then Will pulled away. They stared at each other for a few seconds; Will's face was slightly flushed, his lips red and raw, and Nico was pretty sure he didn't look any more composed. Then Will's gaze darted past Nico's shoulder and focused on something else. "Oh, hey, Drew," he said, his voice unsteady.

Nico turned. An Asian girl stood there, hair tied back in a high ponytail, heavily made-up eyes narrowed, lips glossy and parted in shock. She propped a hand on her hip and her mouth twisted into a scowl.

"You don't want me back, it's your loss," she sniffed. "You don't have to make out with a _guy _to prove your point."

Nico's stomach, still fluttering with nerves, turned to lead. _Of course. _He'd known it was a fluke; he wondered why he felt so disappointed anyway.

He watched the girl flounce away, disappearing back into the dance floor. He turned back to look at Will, who was brushing out wrinkles in his shirt. Nico tried not to wince.

"Sorry about that," Will said. His smile was friendly, nothing more. _Of course, di Angelo. Don't be stupid._

"Uh… it's okay." Nico cleared his throat. "Sorry about—"

Will continued speaking, cutting him off. "She didn't believe me when I told her I was gay."

Nico opened his mouth, then closed it again. He blinked once. Twice. "Wait… what?"

"I broke up with her at the beginning of the year and she wouldn't believe me when I told her I wasn't interested in girls anymore." Now Will's smile was apologetic. "She's been trying to get back together since. I saw her just then and—"

"No, wait… you're actually gay?"

Will stared at him for a moment, then brought a palm to his forehead with a loud smack. "You're so dense, di Angelo."

"What?"

"I left the bar to walk with you and told you you look good—which you do, by the way, really good—and basically just made out with you and you're still having a hard time believing I'm gay?"

Nico only blinked at him some more. He was aware that his mouth was gaping like a fish, but he seemed unable to close it. Was Will implying… could he possibly mean—

Perhaps his questions were clear in his eyes, because Will slapped his forehead again and groaned. "_Yes_, I like you, I've liked you since I met you in mythology club at the beginning of the year, that's why I broke up with Drew because it wouldn't be fair to her, and I came here tonight because Lou Ellen said you'd be here and I didn't plan that but I've wanted to do that for a while now and it just happened and I'm sorry I didn't ask you properly first and I know I'm babbling and I should shut up because I'm probably just making a fool out of myself and you probably think I'm an idiot—"

Nico watched as Will's cheeks steadily grew more pink, words tumbling from his mouth like a flood that had been held back too long, and thought he'd never seen the older boy so embarrassed before. It was kind of adorable.

But as he kept talking, his words growing less and less clear, Nico realized there was only one way to shut him up—he leaned forward and pressed his lips to his again.

Will did indeed shut up. After a long moment, Nico was the first to pull away this time, and he offered the other boy a wide smile. Will smiled back, relief and happiness mingling in his features.

"So you believe me now? That I'm gay?"

"Dunno," Nico said. "Guess you'll have to prove it some more."

Will seemed more than willing to oblige, and Nico made a mental note to thank Lou Ellen later.


	6. thanksgiving

_A/N: Happy Thanksgiving! This is unedited because I have to go now; I'll edit next week after my exams lol._

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><p>Nico had forbidden Will from entering the kitchen.<p>

Which would usually be perfectly acceptable, considering how Will was as good at cooking as he was at shadow-traveling (read: he couldn't do it), but it was _his _kitchen and Nico had been in there for four hours now.

"Can I come in?" he asked, rapping on the kitchen door.

"No!" was the immediate response. Nico's voice was muffled, like he had his head in the refrigerator or something. Something beeped and he cursed—at least, Will assumed the irritated string of Italian words were curses. There was a thump, then a clatter, then a moment later, Nico stuck his head out of the kitchen. There was a smear of flour on his cheek, which Will found kind of adorable, but he shook the thought from mind for the moment.

"How long does it take to cook a turkey anyway?" he wanted to know.

Nico looked offended, like Will had insulted him grievously. "It has to roast all day," he said, and if they'd been any younger he probably would have added a _duh_. "It'll be ready by tonight."

"_Tonight?" _Will had eaten his lunch of McDonald's alone; Nico's burger and fries were cold already. He'd been hoping his boyfriend was almost finished so they could do something together in the afternoon before the rest of the camp kids got here. "Can't you just leave it in there?"

"I am," Nico informed him. "I'm making the rest of the meal now."

"It's going to take that long?"

"You want to try doing it?" He held the door open a fraction wider as if inviting Will to come make an attempt, then seemed to think better of it and pushed it mostly shut again. He stared at Will, only his head visible from inside the kitchen, and sighed. "You said Jason, Percy, Annabeth, Piper, Lou Ellen, the Stolls, Leo, and Calypso were coming before I tuned out. There has to be enough food—I'm not going to order takeout." He said the word _takeout _the way most people might say _cow dung_, which Will found amusing considering how much fast food Nico consumed.

"What are you making now?"

"Just put the green bean casserole in the oven. Mashing potatoes next."

Will tried to step forward, but Nico shook his head. "Nope. You're not going to try to help. You'll just mess things up."

That was true, but Will was incredibly bored, and online games could only entertain one for so long. "Nothing I can do? Nothing I can run to the store and get?"

It must have shown on his face, how desperate he was for something to do, because Nico looked at him and his expression softened. Most people wouldn't notice, but Will had come to read Nico well over the past few years. "I'll come out for a break in a few minutes," he said. "Hold on."

"Thank gods," Will declared. Nico glanced at him oddly and he realized why. "Well, yeah, it's Thanksgiving, isn't it?" he said, offering his boyfriend his cheekiest grin. "We should all be giving thanks today. I'm thankful for my life and yours, the good food I'll be eating tonight, the time I'll be spending with you and all the time I got to spend with you in the past, the fact that you're ticklish on the left side of your—"

Nico slammed the door shut in his face.

"What are you thankful for?" Will called through the door.

He only got a series of Italian swear words in response, but he couldn't help smiling anyway—after all, he knew what Nico was truly thankful for already.

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><p><em>AN: I've read many Nico/Rachel fics in which Nico was a good cook so I can't not headcanon him that way lol._


	7. holidays

_A/N: Super short belated Christmas drabble~_

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><p>Nico had never celebrated the holidays before.<p>

Well, he supposed he had, with his mother and sister back in Italy, when he was a child—but that had been ages ago, years of memories lost in the Lethe and decades past. Sometimes he let himself think about it, let himself imagine what his mother's arms must have felt like wrapped around him or remember the sound of his sister's voice as she laughed, but he usually suppressed those thoughts.

None of his holidays had been particularly wonderful after that, either. He and Bianca were too poor to exchange proper presents at the boarding school, and after that she'd died and all he'd known was anger and hurt. One Christmas he'd been a pawn of Minos, another he'd been searching the world for Percy freaking Jackson, knowing exactly how little he meant to the other boy but putting everything he had into the mission when Will invited him to dinner with his family for Christmas, Nico felt perfectly justified in his skepticism.

"It'll be fun," Will promised. "My mom spends the whole day cooking; I swear she works harder on the Christmas dinner than the Thanksgiving dinner. It'll be way better than all that McDonald's junk you like to eat. She's been wanting to meet you for ages now too."

Nico had to admit he was tempted, but he balked at the thought of meeting people. Especially those certain people—he usually didn't care what others thought of him, but the idea of making a bad impression on Will's family sent his stomach into knots.

But somehow he found himself agreeing anyway, much to his chagrin. It didn't seem to matter what the request was—if Will was the one who made it, Nico always seemed to acquiesce in the end.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting from the night, really—an abundance of awkwardness, certainly. Stilted conversations, perhaps. A lot of staring down at his plate and taking big bites of food so as to prevent others from talking to him and definitely holding Will's hand under the table, something to help him get through the sure-to-be painful evening.

Yet to his surprise, the evening passed more quickly than he thought it would and none of that happened. Dessert was on the table already and Nico was still perfectly at ease. Will's mother had managed to make him feel comfortable right away and Will's siblings… those kids were something else. Nico was sure he had never been so adored in his life (and he was beginning to regret not bringing his Stygian iron sword, considering all the times they'd asked to see it).

"That wasn't so bad," he had to admit afterwards as they were leaving the house, though he grumbled the words. Will laughed and took his hand, squeezing it.

"The holidays are worth celebrating, right?"

Walking hand-in-hand with Will, the snow crunching beneath their feet and Christmas lights adorning the porch behind them, Nico had to admit that Will was right—as long as they got to celebrate together.

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><p><em>AN: I wanted to write something longer but unfortunately I don't have time; I'll try to do something better for the new year (if possible lol). Happy holidays all!_


End file.
